Crazy Rumors Floating Around for the Next Nissan Z

2015 Nissan 370Z Sport (Credit: © Nissan)

Rumors in the automotive industry can be notoriously crazy, which is exactly what’s going on as speculation begins to swirl around the next generation of the Nissan Z. Sometimes automakers will float out some crazy ideas to see how the public reacts, and sometimes they throw out some juicy nuggets to keep everyone guessing, especially their competitors.

An Australian automotive website called Motoring.com.au has been throwing out some particularly crazy information on the next Z that it says comes from a reputable but unnamed source. Is it possible Nissan has its own version of Deep Throat?

Among the crazy assertions made by the Aussie website is that the powertrains for the new sports car will not only be turbocharged, but also will be gasoline-electric hybrids, kind of like the LaFerrari. Most industry experts expect that the new engines will be turbo four-bangers and six-cylinders from Mercedes, thanks to the new agreement between the two auto giants, but there has been no indication that those engines will then be married to an electric motor or two.

Another big change, according to Motoring.com.au, is that the roadster version of the car will have a folding hardtop instead of the current soft top. The coupe will then supposedly have a targa-type roof, which is even less believable.

Perhaps the wildest piece of information is that Nissan will downsize the next Z so that it competes directly against the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The company has been toying with launching a small, rear-wheel drive sports car, but to shrink the Z to compete in such a segment seems unlikely. Everyone will find out what the real scoop is on the next Z car when it is unveiled in 2015.